this morning, storm threat. >> isaac, changing course overnight. the storm set to become a hurricane later today. and now, on a new track, that could be some very bad news for the convention in tampa. and s.e.a.l. secrets. the white house bracing for a bombshell book about the bin laden raid. this one written by a navy s.e.a.l. who was there. inside the penn state sex scandal. sitting down with the man accused of covering it up. the school's former president. an abc news exclusive. and royal reaction. prince harry arriving home to face the music about his american escapades. good wednesday -- thursday morning, everybody.

we begin with tropical storm isaac, now on track today to become a hurricane and rain on the republican parade. >> the track of the storm actually shifted west overnight, increasing its chances of hitting tampa during next week's gop convention. >> but this morning, isaac is kicking up 45-mile-per-hour winds and dumping some heavy rain on the virgin islands and puerto rico. abc's tahman bradley has the very latest. >> reporter: tropical storm isaac, already the size of texas, is quickly moving west. the storm is expected to make landfall in the caribbean island of hispaniola as a category 1 hurricane, with winds up to 75 miles per hour. the storm is dangerously close to the florida coast, making officials there nervous. >> we've been on the phone a lot, talking to fema, the department of defense. >> reporter: forecasters predict isaac will move to cuba and then to florida. >> the wind can do damage. but it's what you put in the wind.

flying debris, anything flying into that structure can certainly damage it. >> reporter: in tampa, preparations continue for next week's republican national convention. but there's fear about isaac. >> we could have a tropical storm. we could have a category 5. we could have nothing. you know, each of those would cause us to have a different type of response. >> reporter: the city's mayor says he will cancel the convention if the weather poses a threat. authorities are worried about complacency. after all, there's been seven years of near-misses for the southern coast. u.s. military personnel in cuba are not taking chances. pretrial hearings for prisoners at guantanamo bay for five prisoners accused of launching the 9/11 attacks were postponed, as authorities plan to evacuate 200 people. >> we're mustering all of the people. and we're preparing. my biggest concern is preventing any loss of life. >> reporter: in florida, republican officials say they have contingency plans in place if the storm threatens next week's convention. but they're keeping those plans top-secret. rob and paula? >> what a logistical nightmare it could be. tahman bradley, live in washington. thanks, tahman.

let's take another look at the forecast map, now. this one showing all of the different computer models that are calculating isaac's possible path. as you can see, one has it heading towards new orleans. not the news they want to hear, so close to the katrina anniversary later this month. another takes it far east of florida. but most of them have it moving right up florida's west coast. we'll get a full update from sam champion later today on "gma." another storm is threatening to cause chaos at next week's republican convention. the uproar over gop senate candidate todd akin's controversial remarks on rape and abortion. those remarks are drawing new attention to v.p. hopeful paul ryan's opposition to abortion, in cases of rape and incest. now, he says he defers to mitt romney who would allow abortions in those cases. romney is hoping the lagging economy, not abortion, will take center stage at the convention. on a trip to new york city, president obama was attacking congressman akin. at a fund-raiser that brought in 3 million bucks, the president

mocked akin, saying he somehow missed science class, even though he's now a member of the house science committee. mr. obama also said akin's remarks represent a desire to go backwards. meantime, a new book about the mission to kill osama bin laden will be released on september 11th, triggering questions about the public release of classified information. that book, which is titled "no easy day," was recently written by a retired navy s.e.a.l. using a pseudonym. publishers say the author led one of the teams that assaulted bin laden's compound. he wants to set the record straight about one of the most important missions in u.s. military history. the pentagon says it has not vetted the book nor provided any information for it. first lady michelle obama heads to wisconsin today to meet with the families of those killed and wounded in this month's attack on the sikh temple. now, sikh leaders say this is a high-profile chance to breech their religion's ideas about unity and compassion.

a white supremacist killed six people in his attack before turning the gun ultimately on himself. and a baton rouge man caused a major scene onboard an american eagle flight. without warning, shoving crew members out of his way and locking himself inside the cockpit for three hours until he finally surrendered voluntarily. investigators say that he had a ticket and luggage but no weapons. and that he seemed distraught. and a rather big story this morning. infections from west nile virus have jumped more than 60% in the last week alone, putting the current outbreak on pace to become the worst ever in the u.s. texas is the hardest-hit state, prompting aerial spraying around houston last night. other states are set to begin their own air assault against the mosquito-borne disease. more than 1,100 cases have been reported nationwide. on top of that, 41 people have now died. three northern california counties are under a state of emergency, as a monster wildfire continues to rage. the ponderosa fire is now 50%

contained after torching 24,000 acres and 50 buildings, many of them homes. 2012 is now on track to become the worst fire season on record. more than 7 million acres have burned across the country this year. las vegas is in for another day of heavy monsoon storms after getting swamped by a record rainfall. more than an inch and a half of rain came down yesterday, flooding intersections and stranding drivers in their cars. some taking a dip. the storm also caused flight delays and knocked out power to thousands. hey, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade. some people having a nice, little swim. >> maybe all of the rain could have cooled off prince harry. time, now, for a look at weather from across the country. in addition to vegas, those monsoon storms also drench palm springs, albuquerque and denver. showers from omaha to the twin cities and green bay. thunderstorms along the gulf coast, from south texas over to florida. also, pretty wet in the carolinas. >> 80s from new orleans to new england, the midwest and rockies. 96 in phoenix. and just 66 in seattle.

coming up after the break, an ominous warning from washington saying that another recession is imminent unless congress takes quick action. plus, good news for iphone fans. there are more signs this morning that an all-new version is just weeks away. and the hover bike. not just for luke skywalker anymore.

welcome back, everyone.

the congressional budget office is warning that the u.s. will plunge into another recession unless congress acts before the end of the year. if not, a hefty series of tax increases and budget cuts will kick in january 1st. the cbo also predicts the unemployment rate will remain above 8% through 2012. >> that so-called fiscal cliff. we hear a lot about that. economists are seeing a start of a recovery in the housing market. existing home sales were up last month. and prices are about 9% higher than a year ago. but analysts warn it may be a while before sellers see significant improvement and tight lending practices are still holding back the market. mcdonald's is the latest fast food chain to stop doing business with a california slaughterhouse that's now been accused of animal cruelty. the agriculture department is also suspending purchases from the california meat packing plant, where undercover video like the one you see there, shows cows simply too sick to walk. government regulators have shut down that slaughterhouse. there are more signs we're

going to see a new iphone within a month. walmart is cutting the price of the 4s model. often a sign the retailer wants to reduce inventory. electronics manufacturer, l.g., says mass production of a new center screen is under way. l.g. provides screens for apple devices. united airlines and other carriers are planning to install slimmer seats in some of their planes so they can squeeze more of us in without taking away anymore leg room. they have thinner padding, allowing an extra row. and they weigh less because they're made of aluminum. so, we'll have more room. we'll just be sitting on uncomfortable seats. >> makes the middle seat that much better, doesn't it? and finally, for those who always wanted to be like the storm troopers in "return of the jedi," there is this. an aerial vehicle, powered by two rotors. the driver controls it by just leaning and balancing. its maker in california says this one is just a prototype, though, for some new unmanned drones. those are expected next year. how cool is that, though? >> i have one word for that. awesome.

>> that would be nice. make the morning commute so much easier. >> much more enjoyable. it's actually not a morning commute. it's a night commute. >> on this shift, yeah. next on this thursday, prince harry back home after his wild time in las vegas. >> and he's wearing clothes. also, important medical news this morning. what a father's age has to do with cases of autism. an abc news exclusive. penn state's president during the sex scandal on whether he could have done more. we're right back. mmmm, just how satisfying is every spoonful of new light & fit greek? morning donut cookies chips, chips,...! silence those tempting thoughts with new light & fit greek. its creamy thick texture helps satisfy you. it has twice the protein of regular lowfat yogurt. and at 80 calories it's the lightest greek yogurt with fruit. cupcake! it's not gonna happen.

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♪ here is a fabulous reason to make a beeline for the sand or just never go into the water to begin with. those flashes of white water, a gang of sharks engrossed in a feeding frenzy 50 yards off the jersey shore.

the sharks don't normally swim that close to the beach. but apparently a school of fish was irresistible. >> where's snooki when you need her? now, for a look at morning road conditions on this thursday. flooding in the west from southern california and vegas into the four corners region. wet roads along the gulf coast into the carolinas. and thunderstorms make for a slick commute from the twin cities to omaha. >> if you're flying, airport delays are possible in phoenix, las vegas and minneapolis. well, prince harry is back at home this morning, after raising a royal ruckus out in sin city. >> naked photos of the third in line to the british throne were viewed by millions over the internet. but british tabloids and tv stations were banned from showing them. the queen may have been shocked by her grandson's nude antics. but some of his fellow brits came to his defense. >> to think that someone would take photos of him in his own hotel room in his own privacy, is just ridiculous. >> i think he's a top man. i wish i was there with him.

>> he's a hero to some. harry may have to meet with military officials to explain his actions. >> most guys are just jealous. don't listen to the haters, harry. party on. more news this morning. a new study from the journal "nature" has uncovered evidence linking autism to older dads. call it the male version of a ticking biological clock. researchers found the dads over 50 years old are twice as likely to father an autistic child as dads over 30. but they add their findings are simply a peek into the mystery of autism and should not prevent older men from considering fatherhood. >> i want to make it clear that the risk for being an older father is very small. and nobody is saying to older men that they shouldn't have children. but this does provide another clue to the causes of autism. >> in fact, dr. besser tells us that a father's age only explains about 5%, actually, of the risk of autism. and a mysterious, new disease has emerged leaving scores of people dead in asia and the united states.

researchers say that this disease mimics aids by damaging immune systems, though patients are not infected by hiv. so far, all of the infected patients are asian. the cause is unknown. but the disease does not appear to be contagious. frightening news there. well, former penn state university president graham spanier is offering his strongest and most personal defense yet of his actions in connection with the jerry sandusky sexual abuse case. spanier does acknowledge that he was told back in 2001 about sandusky engaging in what was described as, quote, horseplay with a child. but in an interview with abc's josh elliott yesterday, he claimed he was never told the child was actually being abused. >> didn't you have a moral obligation to find out who that child was and find out what happened? >> i didn't conjure up anything more than what i would have thought of as simple horseplay. so, no, i didn't think of anything more than that.

it's not in my nature to go around thinking the worst of people. i'm not a law enforcement agent. i'm not an investigator. i was a university president. >> spanier also revealed that he himself was abused as a child at the hands of his father, in fact. coming up on "good morning america," spanier talks about the penn state-backed report, in which he's accused of covering up the sandusky case. for the lighter side of sports, nfl's week three of preseason is tonight. as for baseball highlights, we have more, now, from espn. >> good morning. i'm randy scott with your "sportscenter" update. we start in texas where adrian beltre had himself a ball game. bottom two. rangers and orioles. former teammate, hunter pitching. but beltre doesn't care. solo shot. 20th of the season. bottom four. another one for beltre. this one, a two-run shot. the rangers would bat around.

so, beltre came up again in the fourth. and he would go again. his third of the game. rangers win, 12-3. whatever you do, do not touch beltre's head to celebrate. absolutely hates it. rays have been red-hot. they're getting it done on the mound. james shields, facing the royals. top eight. shields still in there. working on the strike zone. gets eric hosmer. 7 2/3, struck out 7. rays win 5-3. to the national league, giants and dodgers. joaquin arias, not a lot of playing time. he's making a case for it. san fran looking for the first three-game sweep of their rivals in five years. arias, three for four with that home run. five rbis. the giants get the job done in support of matt cain, who was fantastic. gets his 13th win of the season. 8-4, your final. for all of your sports

information, you can go to espn.com, catch "sportscenter," or watch "the highlight express," on espn news at 11:00 p.m. eastern time. up next, a tv star comes face-to-face with an intruder. something the crook now painfully regrets. the clue, momma said knock you out. and only in russia. try commuting on that. [ male announcer ] did you know all those screens that keep you connected are sucking moisture from your eyes, causing irritation and dryness? [ thud ] really? [ male announcer ] revive your eyes with visine®. ahh. [ male announcer ] only visine® has hydroblend, a unique blend of 3 moisturizers that soothe, restore and protect eyes for up to 10 hours of comfort. which means all day comfort... for my non-stop day! [ male announcer ] visine® with hydroblend,

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♪ momma said knock you out i'm gonna knock you out ♪ that song is so apropos for this story. we're talking about in "the pulse." we start with a burglar learning the hard way, not to mess with this guy, l.l. cool j., who sang that song. >> the rapper-turned-actor proving his muscles aren't just for show. he had a knock-down, drag-out fight with a man who entered his home in southern cali. >> l.l. wasn't injured. he acted out of concern for his family. >> picked the wrong house. wrong house. we just told you about britain's prince harry and the start of the fallout from his naked romp in las vegas. >> the british tabloid press has been pretty coy about this one.

adhering to a request by the royals to not publish the pictures of harry au naturel. >> so, here's what "the sun" came up with for today's edition. some of its own staffers posing in the buff with a female companion. anything for that story. that is not prince harry. >> brave man. brave reporter to do that. why didn't we think about doing that on this show? >> maybe next time. >> yeah. and finally, check this out. that's a guy in russia, climbing and riding what's being called the smallest functional bike that can actually be ridden by a human. >> you call that riding the bike? >> i don't know what you call that. >> just a couple inches long. no bigger than a shoe. all requirements to be a bike. two wheels, a frame, brakes, and pedals. it's fun to watch him ride it. one stroke at a time. i'll be to work in five days. >> some people have too much time on their hands. for some of you, now, local

news is next. ♪ i'd do anything for you, dear ♪ ♪ anything, yes, i'd do anything ♪ ♪ anything for you ♪

. next, breaking news in the north bay. early morning fire sends a san rafael family fleeing for their lives. >> also, bay area's newest chick-fil-a restaurant opens in san jose today. >> mike will have your forecast and tell you where that scattered fog is. and frances wills from minneapo to omaha and along the gulf coast. also, some showers in the carolinas. and finally this thursday morning, maybe you're about to tuck into your own breakfast there. well, here is on eye-opening story for you.

>> indeed. it's all about the seemingly unimaginable amount of food that we waste every year. billions and billions of dollars worth. abc's t.j. winick has more. >> reporter: a new report finds americans are throwing out nearly every other bite of food. >> i'm shocked, especially considering how many people are starving out there. >> i see people order a meal and just pick at it. >> reporter: according to a new study by the national resources defense council, we end up wasting up to 40% of the country's food supply every year. that includes $165 billion of produce and meats. >> no matter how sustainibly we're growing our foods, if ear not actually eating it, it's a terrible waste of our resources. >> reporter: the group found a family of four squanders nearly $2,300 in food each year. or 20 pounds per person, per month. the waste is especially alarming during a time of record drought, high food prices expected to get higher and families unable to afford food. the council says food gets wasted in several areas along

the line, not just at the dinner table. >> the department of agriculture, that's buying a lot of food. subsidizing food. you have consumers buying food. there's no one group saying here's the amount of food we should have. and here's how it should be distributed. >> reporter: still, most waste takes place in stores and homes. and the nrdc suggests ways to curb it. >> we can start in our own refrigerators by making sure we use up what's in there. in supermarkets, for instance, i'd love to see adjusted promotions. in the united kingdom, they're experimenting with other promotions like buy one get one later. >> reporter: the government says supermarkets lose $15 billion each year on unsold fruits and vegetables alone. t.j. winick, abc news, new york. >> wasteful country. >> and yet, we're the fattest country. >> doesn't make sense. thanks for watching, everybody. have a great morning.